Film-reel construction



Dec. 25, 1923.

Filed Feb. 1, 1922 INVENTOR ATTO R N Bil Patented Dec, 25, EQZS,

u wilTfifi WALTJEE E. TUTTLE, 0F PROVIDENCE, REODE Fizbi t l GQESTRUCTIGN.

Application tiled seminary i, 1922. Serial no. scenes.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, WALTER l. Torrnn, e citizen of the United States, and a resident of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island have invented an Improvement in Film-heel Construction, of which the following is e specificetion.

This invention relates to reels and, more particularly, to the construction of reels for moving picture film or the like. One of the objects of this invention is to provide a reel of the above nature of simple and rugged construction and of efiicient action when in practical use. (Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will be exemplified 1n the structure hereinsi'ter described, and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

1n the accompanying drawings, in which is shown by way of example en embodiment of this inv ntion,

Figure 1 is e side elevation with certein parts broken away to show more clearly in section a portion of the barrel and essocie'ted parts; end

F i re 2 is e sectionsl view telren along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Similar reference characters refer to similar arts throughout the severnl views of the rawings.

Referring now to the drewin and more particularly to Fig. 2, there is s own a centrn-l hearing member or hub 10 oi e general cylindrical shape end provided with an opening 11 extending longitudinelly therethrough adopted to receive e suitable sheft or pin upon which the hearing member 10 end its essociated parts may be rotutuhly supported. The c lindricel hearing member 10 is provided wit e hey-wey 12 extending e substantial distance along the axis of the hearing meinher end at one end thereof and is provided also with e second key-wey 13 cut from the opposite end of the hearing member 10 end engulsrly spaced from the key-way 112.- 'lhus, for exem le, key-way 13 mey be positioned substantia ly diametricelly opposite from the hey-way 12. There is thus provided a key-way extending into the hsermg member 10 from both sides thereof and the two key-ways being an larly spaced from one another and prefers ly diametrically opposite insure the true and smooth running of the structure on e shaft as well as the maintenance of strength in the central bearing member.

Each end of the central hearing member 10 is milled off to provide the non-circular ends 14 and 15 which are respectivel adapted to receive the heads 16 and 17 one 1 of which is provided with a central non-circular opening into which the ends 14 and 15 may enter. The central ortions of the heads 16 and 17 are thus adapted to abut against the shoulders formed by the central cylindrical portion of the bearing member.

10. In order to provide a more compact structure and to attain the desired over-all permissible length of hub conforming with standard construction, the heads 16 and 17 are each stamped to provide the inwardly extending central portions 18 and 19 respectively, which, as above mentioned, abut against the shoulders of the central bearing member 10. The inwardly stamped portions 18 and 19 of the heads 16 and 17 respectively are preferably circular and are stamped inwardly to a sufficient extent to accommodate therein the washers 20 and 21 respectively.

The washers 20 end 21, us will be more clearly seen from Fig. 1, are each provided with a non-circular central opening adapted to fit over the ends 141 and 15 respectively or the central hearing. member 10. Preferably, the dimensions of the openings in the Washers 20 and 21 are such that they form with the ends 14: and 15 at driving fit.

Suitable connecting members such as the rivets 22, shown in Fig. 1 its three in number, are adapted to drew the washers 20 end 21 toward each other and thus securely clamp the central stamped portions 18 end 19 of the heads 16 end 17 respectively against the cylindrical shoulders of the central bearing member 10. A ri 'd and rugged beering construction is t us provided and positive drivin of the barrel heads 16 and 17 and associated ports mounted thereon is thus assured.

The heads 16 and 17 ere referebly made of a sheet metal of suitah e thickness and may conveniently be stsmpcd into the form generally illustrutw in the drawings. More specifically, as shown at 23, the heads are provided with annular beads or depres sions edjscent their peripheries and with stamped beads 24 adjacent their central portions, thus giving the heads greater strength and greater rigidity. F urthermore, the annular depressions 23 and 24 may be conveniently connected by a plurality of radially extending depressions such as 25 and, where the heads are stamped to provide a plurality of spokes as shown in Fig. 1, these connecting radial depressions 25 may convenientlyl in those portions constituting t e spokes.

The barrel of the reel or that portion upon which the material which it is desired to mount upon the reel is supported comprises preferably a single strip of sheet metal 26 provided at suitable intervals with lugs 27 on each side thereof, these lugs being adapted to pass through suitable and correspondingly positioned o nings in the heads 16 and 17 and to be anged over as is clearly shown in the two views of the drawing. The barrel portion 26 is thus rigidly mounted between the two heads 16 and 17 and, furthermore, assists in rigidly holding the two heads together. As is clearly shown in the fraglmentary section in Fig. 1 of the drawings, t e adjacent endsof the barrel member 26 are preferably maintained in alignment with each other and secured together by means of the strip 28 which, at its substantially central portion, is riveted or otherwise suitably secured to the two abutting ends of the barrel member 26. As is shown in the drawings, rivets 29 may conveniently be used to secure the parts together. The adjacent ends of the barrel member 26 are thus securely connected together and maintained in proper alignment with each other.

The strip 28 is made of a suitable spring material and is made of sufficient length so as to extend an appreciable distance to I each side of the abutting ends of the barrel member 26. The strip 28 is, moreover, so conformed or bent that by reason of its resiliency its respective ends, indicated at 30 and 31, tend to closely hug the barrel member 26. A short distance from each end of the barrel forming member 26 there are provided suitable openings 32 and 33, substantially underneath the overla ping ends 30 and 31 respectively of t e spring strip 28. The openings thus provided in thefbarrel member 26 are adapted to permit the operation therethrough of the spring operating members 34 and 35 secured to the operative portions 30 and 31 respectively of the spring strip 28 as by rivets 36. The spring operating members 34 and are each suitably bent so as to provide a substantially flat portion by means of which the members may be secured to the springgstrip 28 and to provide an inwardly or su stantially radially extending finger portion be formed,

aavegeos substantially adjacent each spring operatbarrel member 26 to a suflicient extent to overlap the openings 32 in the respective ends of the barrel member 26. These bent portions 34 and 35 thus provide shoulders adapted upon manual operation of the levers 34 and 35 to contact with the barrel member 26 in order to limit the extent to which the operative or end portions 30 and 31 of the spring strip 28 are bent outwardly. Thus, as is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. the lever 35 is swung outwardly to place the operative portion 31 of the spring strip in position to have the material inserted thereunder, and it will be seen that the bent portion 35 of the lever, contacting with-the barrel 26, limits the outward movement of the portion 31 and thus protects the latter against overstraining and possible distortion.

The spring strip 28 in being secured at its central portion to the two adjacent ends of the barrel member 26 thus not only so cures the two ends of the barrel 26 together,

but also provides the two oppositely directed ends 30 and 31 overlapping the barrel 26. These ends 30 and 31 are adapted togrip between them and the barrel the end of a. film or other material which it is desired to store upon the reel. The ends 30 and 31 are, by means of the operating levers 34 and 35, respectively, radially moved away from the barrel 26 to permit the insertion thereunder of the end of the film. The openings 37 and 38 in the heads permit ready access to the lovers 34 and 35 as by means of a finger, and the necessity of inserting the hand between the heads of the reel for the purpose of securing the end of the film is obviated. llu'rthermore, it will be noted that a simple and relatively short movement ina'substantially circumferential or tangential direction is suflicient to operate the spring clips through the operating levers, and that simple and effective means are provided for limiting the movement of the operative parts and thereby protect them from undesired distortion.

\ I It will thus be seen that there is provided aerat on made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention: 7

1. In a construction of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a pair of head members, a barrel member associated therewith and adapted to form a supporting surface for material wound on the reel, :1 spring member associated with said barrel member and having a portion resting upon the outer surface of said barrel member, means for manually moving said portion of said spring member away from said barrel member, and means for limiting the extent of movement of said portion of said spring member away from said barrel member. 4

2. In a construction of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a pair of head members, a barrel member associated therewith and adapted to form a supporting surface for material wound on the reel, a sprin member associated with said barrel mem er and having a portion resting upon the outer surface of said barrel member, operative means associated with said spring member for moving said portion thereof away from said barrel member, and means for limiting the action of said opera tive means to a predetermined extent.

3. in a construction of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a pair of head members, a barrel member associated therewith and adapted to form a supporting surface for material wound on the reel, a spring member associated with said barrel member and having a portion resting upon the outer surface of said barrelmember, a lever secured to said spring member for moving said portion thereof away from said barrel member, and means associated with said lever for limiting the operative movement thereof.

l. in a construction of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a.

pair of head members, a sheet metal barrel member associated therewith and adapted to form a supporting surface for material wound on the reel and having an opening therein, a spring member secured to said barrel member and adapted to substantially overlap said opening therein, and a lever connected to said spring member and extending through said opening and into the interior of said barrel member for operating said spring member.

5. Ian construction of the general nature of that herein described, in combination, a pair of head members, a-sheet metal barrel member associated therewith and adapted to form a supporting surface for material wound on the reel and having an openin therein, a spring member mounted upon sai barrel member and adapted to substantially overlap said opening to provide a portion resting upon the outer surface of said barrel member, a lever mounted upon said spring member and extending through said opening in said barrel member for movingsaid portion of said spring member away from the outer surface of said barrel member, said lever havin a bent portion adapted upon operation t erect to engage said barrel member thereby to limit the operative move ment of said lever and of said spring memher.

6. In a construction of the general nature of that herein described, in combination,

a main cylindrical hub member having nonopening passing therethrougand adapted.

to form a bearing and having non-circular ends, a pair of key-ways in said hub member positioned at opposite ends thereof and engularly spaced from one another, a pair of head members having centrally positioned non-circular openings each adapted to receive one end of said hub member, a pair of washers about said opening exterior of said head members and means passin. through said washers for clamping sai head membem to the shoulders on said hub member formed by said non-circular ends.

8. in a construction of the general nature of that therein described, in combination, a main hub member having a cylindrical 0 ening passing themthrough and adapte' to form a bearing and having non-circularly shaped ends, a pair of head members; each having a substantially centrally positioned and inwardly directed depression, said head members being provided each with a noncircular opening whereby each head member may receive a non-circular end of said hub member within said non-circular opening therein, a pair of plates each ada ted to be accommodated within said centra positioned depressed portion in said hea and means connecting said plates together thereby to clamp-said head members against the shoulders on said hub member formed by said non-circular ends.

9.1m a construction of the general nature lllli lltl hiltl use i of that herein described, in combination, a pair of head members, a barrel member supported between said two head members, a resilient member associated with said barrel 5 member, and having a portion resting upon the outer surface of said barrel member, and

a lever connected to said resilient member for moving said portion thereof away from the surface of said barrel member, said lever extending into the interior of said barrel member, at least one of said head membershaving an opening therein permitting access to said lever for manual operation thereof. In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 26th day of January, 1922. r

WTER I. TUTTLE. 

